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Mental illness and suicide in British South Asian adults
- Author:
- INEICHEN Bernard
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Religion and Culture, 15(3), 2012, pp.235-250.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
South Asians make up about 4.7% of the UK population. Studies from the 1990s concluded that the mental health of British people of South Asian origin was at least as good, and probably rather better, than that of the ethnic majority. Their rates for mental illness and suicide have been shown by some researchers to be lower than that of the total UK population, using a variety of measures, and considering many psychiatric conditions. This paper reviews the literature on the extent of mental illness among British South Asian adults, and explores aspects of their service use, and their attitudes to mental illness. Some distinguishing features of British South Asian mental health are identified, including areas justifying further research. The author concludes that variations in the South Asian population including generation, country of origin, religion, class, wealth and geography, emphasise the growing need to disaggregate this population when presenting data about them.
Forgiveness as a moderator of the association between anger expression and suicidal behaviour
- Authors:
- HIRSCH Jameson K., WEBB Jon R., JEGLIC Elizabeth L.
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Religion and Culture, 15(3), 2012, pp.279-300.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Anger is associated with poor mental health, including suicidal behaviour. However, individual characteristics such as religion or spirituality may buffer against the effects of anger. One such characteristic, forgiveness, is the voluntary process of changing ones’ beliefs, behaviours, and emotions towards a transgressor from negative to positive. This study investigated forgiveness of self, forgiveness of others and feeling forgiven by God as moderators of the relationship between anger expression and suicidal behaviours in a sample of 372 ethnically diverse college students in a northern US university. Findings revealed that forgiveness of self was a significant moderator of the association between inward and outward anger and suicidal behaviour. The authors concluded that interventions targeting anger via the promotion of forgiveness may be useful in the prevention of suicide.
A crisis intervention team program: four-year outcomes
- Author:
- TYUSE Sabrina W.
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work in Mental Health, 10(6), 2012, pp.464-477.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Surveys of people incarcerated in US jails and prisons in 1997 estimated that 16% of jail and state prison inmates and 7% of federal inmates had a mental illness. A recent initiative to decrease the number of incarcerated persons with mental illness has been the development of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) programmes to train law enforcement officers to serve as first or second responders to individuals experiencing a psychiatric crisis. CIT programmes are designed to enable law enforcement officers to recognise and understand a mental health crisis, to communicate effectively with a person in crisis, and to acquire the necessary skills to de-escalate the crisis. This article presents outcomes of the first 4 years of a CIT programme in St. Louis, Missouri. The study utilised all CIT reports completed by CIT law enforcement officers from July 2005 to June 2009 that involved a person experiencing or having a history of severe mental illness or involved a suicide threat or suicide attempt. This resulted in a sample size of 5,623 CIT calls over the course of the study. The findings of this evaluation suggest that the CIT programme is effective in diverting individuals in crisis to treatment. CIT officers are significantly more likely to take individuals in mental health crisis to a hospital emergency department for a psychiatric evaluation. This is particularly true for CIT calls involving individuals making a suicide threat or a suicide attempt.
Changing the meaning of help: clinical approaches to reducing stigma among suicidal young adults
- Author:
- DOWNS Marilyn F.
- Journal article citation:
- Families in Society, 93(1), January 2012, pp.22-28.
- Publisher:
- The Alliance for Children and Families
Reducing the stigma associated with mental health problems is an important objective of suicide prevention policies. Whilst the main aim of these efforts is to encourage help-seeking, the problem of stigma does not necessarily end when a person crosses the threshold to treatment. Internalised stigma can affect meanings attached to experiencing a problem or needing help, adding to the burden of mental health difficulties, and perceived stigma by others can inhibit positive social connections and intensify social isolation. This article, drawing on cognitive and relational–cultural theories to discuss psychological and interpersonal consequences of mental illness stigma for depressed and suicidal young adults, presents clinical approaches to addressing stigma. These approaches are demonstrated with a case study of a 19-year-old male college student.
Family-based crisis intervention with suicidal adolescents in the emergency room: a pilot study
- Authors:
- WHARFF Elizabeth A., GINNIS Katherine M., ROSS Abigail M.
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work: A journal of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), 57(2), April 2012, pp.133-143.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Suicidality in adolescents is the most significant factor in the majority of paediatric emergency room (ER) visits for behaviour health concerns. Current standard practice for psychiatric patients in the ER is evaluation and disposition, with little or no treatment provided. This article describes the results of a pilot study of a family-based crisis intervention (FBCI) for suicidal adolescents and their families in a large, urban paediatric ER. FBCI is designed to sufficiently stabilise patients within a single ER visit so that they can return home safely with their families. A sample of 67 suicidal adolescents and their families who presented at the ER from January 2001-June 2002 participated in the study. Demographic and clinical characteristics and disposition outcomes from the sample were compared with those obtained retrospectively from a matched comparison group. The findings showed that patients in the FBCI group were significantly less likely to be hospitalised than were those in the comparison group (36% versus 55%). Only 2 of the patients in the FBCI cohort were hospitalised immediately after receiving the intervention during their ER visit. The article concludes that FBCI with suicidal adolescents and their families during a single ER visit is feasible and safely limits the need for inpatient psychiatric hospitalisation.
Self-harm: treating people differently, intervening early
- Author:
- JOHN Ann
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Today, March 2012, pp.18-19.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
Self-harm, usually defined as intentional self-poisoning or self-injury, is an important public health problem. The method, nature of motivation, or degree of suicidal intent is complex and may change for any individual over time. Long-term outcome studies in adults consistently highlight the association between self-harm and completed suicide. Those who repeat self-harm are at significantly greater risk of committing suicide than those how have a single episode. There are many factors associated with self-harm: mental health problems, particularly depression; alcohol and substance misuse; personality disorders; and a range of social, economic and cultural issues. All people who self-harm who present at hospital should have a psychosocial assessment and any associated disorders should be managed according to NICE guidelines. All frontline staff should receive suicide and self-harm awareness training and be enabled to manage people in a caring, compassionate manner.
Youth Justice staff attitudes towards screening for self-harm
- Authors:
- KNOWLES Sarah E., TOWNSEND Ellen, ANDERSON Martin P.
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care in the Community, 20(5), September 2012, pp.506-515.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Young offenders are recognised as a high-risk group for self-harm and suicidal behaviour. Identifying mental health problems in high-risk groups, like young offenders in the community, often relies on the screening abilities of professionals who may not have received mental health training. The aim of this study was to explore community youth justice staff attitudes towards screening for self-harmful behaviour in young offenders and referring them to specialist services. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted at an English Youth Offending Team in June 2006 with staff who had used the suicide screening tool with young offenders. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. This revealed that staff attitudes towards working within the screening system varied along 2 dimensions. The first ‘active/passive’ dimension related to perceived confidence in dealing with self-harm. The second ‘positive/negative’ dimension related to perceptions of the benefits of screening and the effectiveness of mental health provision for young offenders. The results indicate that barriers to effective screening must be tackled at both individual and organisational levels.
Parent psychopathology and offspring mental disorders: results from the WHO World Mental Health Surveys
- Authors:
- MCLAUGHLIN Katie A., et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 200(4), April 2012, pp.290-299.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Parent psychopathology is strongly linked with offspring psychiatric disorders. A central unanswered question is whether this is through a generalised vulnerability or confined to the particular disorder. Much of the research to date has examined a single or limited number of parent disorders without accounting for comorbidity which may have partially inflated specific associations. This study examine data from the World Health Organization (WHO) World Mental Health Surveys (n = 51 507, covering 22 countries). Respondent disorders were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and parent disorders with informant-based Family History Research Diagnostic Criteria interviews. Although virtually all parent disorders examined (major depressive, generalised anxiety, panic, substance and antisocial behaviour disorders and suicidality) were significantly associated with offspring disorders in multivariate analyses, little specificity was found. Comorbid parent disorders had significant sub-additive associations with offspring disorders. Population-attributable risk proportions for parent disorders were 12.4% across all offspring disorders, generally higher in high- and upper-middle- than low-/lower-middle-income countries, and consistently higher for behaviour (11.0-19.9%) than other (7.1-14.0%) disorders. The authors conclude that parent psychopathology is a robust non-specific predictor associated with a substantial proportion of offspring disorders.
Managing clinical risk: a guide to effective practice
- Authors:
- LOGAN Caroline, JOHNSTONE Lorraine, (eds.)
- Publisher:
- Routledge
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 332p.
- Place of publication:
- Abingdon
The editors have brought together experts to provide an evidence-based for understanding risk in key areas of practice. Contributions cover; violence, sexual violence, firesetting, suicide, and self-harm, working with individuals and with organisations. Discussion also includes issues around working with special groups: women, young people, serving and former military personnel, clients with comorbid presentations, and clients with cognitive impairment. The book looks at how practitioners can assess and manage clinical risk, communicate their concerns about risk, and account for their decisions about risk management to their clients and to the Courts. It describes the skills practitioners need to understand and communicate their concerns through coverage of interviewing and risk formulation skills. Violence directed towards others or self can cause immense physical and psychological damage to the harmed, the harmful, their families, and the public at large. The book’s contributors have a wide range of knowledge and experience about the notion of risk, conducting risk management in real world mental health, correctional, and community settings, and about working with clients with a label of high risk. Together, they combine theoretical and research knowledge with practical skills in care and management, emphasising the collaborative and recovery-focused nature of modern risk management.